Hope: An Emotion or a Way of Thinking?

Rebecca Lewis December 21, 2012

When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time." – Anonymous.

Hope is a very powerful tool that motivates and inspires people to work harder in achieving their goals. If you are an optimistic individual, then you must be hopeful. Most psychologists consider it as a way of thinking, rather than being simply an emotion or feeling. It is a cognitive process that has positive and lasting behavioural consequences.

Hope as a way of thinking

According to C.R. “Rick” Snyder, a positive psychologist who studied hope, hope happens when:

· You are able to set realistic goals. This means you are certain of what you want in life, and which path you are taking.

· You know how to achieve those goals. Most importantly, during the times when your way to achieve them doesn’t work, you are able to develop alternative routes to get there.

· You can tolerate failures and disappointments.

· You believe in yourself and you are optimistic that you are going to hit your goals!

In a 1998 study, researchers found better problem-solving abilities in hopeful individuals than their less hopeful peers. They are also cognitively flexible and more able to mentally explore novel situations.

Technically speaking, hope doesn’t even meet the criteria of an emotion. According to experts, emotions are automatic and reflexive. Once emotions are formed, you feel outward physical and behavioural responses from your nervous system. Hope is a cognitive process that has a huge influence in your behaviour and in how you respond to various situations.

Lack of Hope leads to Suicidal Behaviours

According to Snyder, hopelessness is a critical factor of suicidal behaviour. Most people who commit suicide fail to see hope in every aspect of life. For them, there is no future. It’s either they are stuck in the past or is doomed by the present. People with suicidal tendencies tend to blame everything on themselves (sometimes, to other people). They think they don’t have control over their life. As a result, they fail to find happiness in every accomplishment.

How do you build hope?

Being hopeful is the same with imagining a positive outcome. You convince yourself that something good is going to happen in the future no matter how difficult the present is. To strengthen your sense of hope, psychologists suggest you do the following:

· Visualise a positive outcome. When you visualise achieving your goals, your behaviour becomes subconsciously wired to create them. It can be helpful to list down all the things you want done in a day, in a week, month or year. While your brain is sensitive to the information, it will unconsciously work toward your goals.

· Commit. Hopefulness is something you don’t develop in a day. It is a product of daily devotion, hard work and action.

· Be grateful. Hope springs from a positive mind. Without optimism, you are less likely to become hopeful. One way to harness positive thinking is to develop your sense of gratefulness. Be thankful to everything you have, no matter how little or insignificant they may seem. Before going to bed, make a list of three or five things you have been very thankful for during that day.

· Be your own boss. Don’t think that you don’t have control of your thoughts and emotions because you do. Your thoughts are yours. You are the one who create them. Therefore, you have the ability to choose positive thoughts over negative ones.

· Surround yourself with positive people. The more hopeful and optimistic people around you are, the more hopeful you will be!

Dear Readers,

What other tips can you recommend to people who wanted to become more hopeful?

Share your comments below.